So listen to Aztecs point guard Xavier Thames when he says "it's going to feel like an NCAA tournament game."

Hmm. This sounds familiar, doesn't it? Wasn't there a nonconference opponent that the Aztecs faced earlier this season that gave the pregame buzz a triple espresso?

Yeah, there was -- the No. 1 ranked Arizona Wildcats, which handed SDSU its only loss via a nine-point win at Viejas Arena on Nov. 14.

So two months later, with the national stage again serving as their canvas, the question becomes: What's different about the Aztecs (11-1) since that defeat?

The answer: A lot. Starting with the fact that...

The scoring "problem" has been solved.

The NBA scouts at Allen Fieldhouse Sunday will be slobbering over Jayhawks such as Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, and Perry Ellis. But the man playing as well as any of them right now is Thames.

The senior dropped a combined 55 points in the semifinals and finals of the Wooden Legacy tournament last month, and if he was a rapper, would have dropped the mic right after. It was a showstopping performance, but more significantly for the Aztecs, one that triggered further supremacy from the floor leader.

Thames has led SDSU in scoring in four of the six games since -- including a 23-point showing against Mountain West foe Colorado State Wednesday -- and is shooting a borderline-absurd .474 clip from 3-point distance.

Aztecs coach Steve Fisher is among the more insightful minds in the game, but it didn't require much insight to conclude this on Friday.

"Xavier Thames is playing as well as anyone in the country right now," Fisher said. "And that wears off (on the rest of the team)."

Particularly one member of the team, because if you haven't noticed...

Winston Shepard is killing it.

In terms of pure natural talent, Shepard may not be in the VIP section like a Wiggins or an Embiid, but as a former 5-star recruit, he's at least in the same club. What the sophomore has struggled to do, however, is produce results within even two stars of his potential.

Until now.

Shepard was suspended for one game two weeks ago due to unspecified conduct issues. Since then, he's been arguably the Aztecs' most efficient player -- and for this, we can offer specifics.

Against McNeese State? He went 4 for 5 and scored a team-high 14 points. He scored 23 on 7-of-9 shooting vs. St. Katherine College, and against Colorado State, tallied 17 points while going 6 of 11. All in all, that's 17 of 25 from a guy who's treating shots like the army does rations-- none go wasted.